Chief of Staff Julius Debrah has declared that Ghana is ready to reposition its economy and emerge as the leading manufacturing hub in West Africa, using the opening of the 2026 Kwahu Business Forum to lay out a vision of production-led growth anchored in public and private sector partnership.
Delivering the keynote address at the third edition of the forum on Friday, April 3, at the Kwahu Convention Centre on Mpraeso Hill in the Eastern Region, Debrah said the government is resolute in its commitment to shift Ghana from a predominantly trading economy to a robust, manufacturing-driven one that fully harnesses the country’s resources for the benefit of all citizens.
He called for a decisive shift from a trading economy to a production-driven one, warning that long-term growth depends on value addition and industrialisation. Ghana must produce more of what it consumes, process more of what it grows, and build industries that compete beyond its borders, he said, cautioning against the continued export of raw materials and importation of finished goods as a cycle that limits economic progress.
Debrah criticised what he described as the enduring limitations of the “Guggisberg economy,” urging stakeholders to move beyond rhetoric and take concrete steps toward building industries with widespread trickle-down benefits across the economy.
On the government’s role, Debrah said the state must provide an enabling environment built on policy clarity, macroeconomic discipline, infrastructure, efficient regulation, skills development and reliable power. On the private sector’s responsibilities, he said businesses must invest boldly, innovate consistently, formalise where necessary, and scale beyond their comfort zones, building firms that focus not just on immediate margins but on long-term competitiveness, resilience and national impact.
He declared: “Let this Forum send a powerful message from the hills of Kwahu to every corner of Ghana: that we are ready to build, ready to produce, ready to lead, and ready to uplift others as we rise. This is our time not merely to discuss Ghana’s economic destiny, but to shape it.”
The third edition of the Kwahu Business Forum runs from April 3 to 5 at the Kwahu Convention Centre and is drawing more than 1,000 entrepreneurs, investors, policymakers and development partners. It features networking sessions, investor matchmaking and panel discussions on the role of the financial sector in shaping the future of business in Ghana. President John Dramani Mahama is expected to address the forum, with Trade, Agribusiness and Industry Minister Elizabeth Ofosu-Adjare also scheduled to participate.
